


Call of Silence

by iStandalone



Series: Drabbles - EMIYA’s original timeline AU [1]
Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Romance, Archer’s original timeline, Canon Related, Drabble, F/M, I Was Drunk When I Wrote This, Rin also has her own shit to handle, Shirou is so slow in this...uh or should I say Archer?, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26342530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iStandalone/pseuds/iStandalone
Summary: As Shirou’s last year in Clock Tower began, he noticed some changes in the relationship between him and his master. Settings in Archer’s original timeline, post-war, based on Nasu’s interview.
Relationships: Emiya Shirou/Tohsaka Rin, Heroic Spirit EMIYA | Archer/Tohsaka Rin
Series: Drabbles - EMIYA’s original timeline AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903954
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	Call of Silence

His master had been acting strange lately, it’s not like she was angry with him. But he could literally _smell_ the furious energy from everywhere whenever he’s near her.

Rin would spend so much time in her workshop, working on something all night long non-stop, and going MIA on him for several weeks then appeared before him during class like nothing happened had become her recent routine. She looked worn out, and on edge. Like she was chasing after something and being chased at the same time. The dark shade of exhaustion that mildly shown in her gaze reminded him of the day he approached her on that rooftop, asking about how she was doing the day after the war ended. She kept her expressions blank, stared back at him like he was an idiot who didn’t know what he was saying. And answered she was fine, when she’s clearly anything but.

Shirou never asked what happened, he regretted not doing so.

After she went disappeared on him without warnings for a third time. He changed his method of interacting with her, he stopped leaving her notes, purposely not looking at her in the eyes while she was teaching him some tips for his exams, and quitted sending her his cookings for her late night work. It disturbed him to do so, but Shirou thought that if he distanced himself from her far enough, just like he intended since they got here in London, she will be more comfortable around him. He would be fine, this was his last year here, so he didn’t have to be a burden and rely on her anymore.

One morning, she came in her workshop with a large bruise on her face.

Shirou was at a loss of words. That time she was gone for two weeks, saying she had some business trip in Greece and she’d be back in no time so he had nothing to worry about. He trusted her, but he did not believe it was only a business trip. It appeared that his instinct was proven to be right.

Every time he tried to approach her about the matter, she will begin to ignore him. It’s nothing new to him, her giving him a cold shoulder. He never took it for personal, knowing her. It was one of her ways to protect herself from others. But still, he couldn’t deny it didn’t hurt him.

He shouldn’t care too much, but he regretted not caring for more.

The relationship that, one Shirou and Rin shared, was not too far from acquaintances. The word describes everything all at once, they were classmates, enemies, allies, student and teacher, and now, apprentice and master. Nothing more, nothing less. If she needs, he will be there for her. Just like she will be there for him. But it’s not a sincerity that held on to the truth, it was duty. He couldn’t leave her because of his way of living, and she couldn’t leave him because of their partnership as friends and co-workers.

It all started with that wrong way of thinking.

After they survived the holy grail war, the war itself has left them the voidness of unfulfilling tasks. Shirou couldn’t save everyone he wanted to save, including his servant, and Rin didn’t accomplish what she was born and raised for. They stopped talking about the war in general after few months of the incident. And everything just fell back into normalcy as it should be.

Oddly enough, in a way, they found themselves miss it.

The war, the servants, the fights, those restless nights… and most importantly, the connection they shared.

For his side, Emiya Shirou had no reasons to be involved with Tohsaka Rin after it all came to an end, and he was half-glad and half-disappointed at the fact.

He was grateful for her help, but he couldn’t let himself be at the receiving end of guilt for his hopelessness any longer. He needed to be better, and he would. The ideal he believed in, the people he wanted to protect, the path he had longed for. He was more than determined to pursue all of them.

He began his _own_ practice, it was hopeless at first but he was getting better at it. He didn’t need her guidance, he told himself that. He will slowly but surely found his _own_ way, to become a hero of justice, to be able to face her without being conscious about his _own_ strength.

After a second semester ended, she came to his house for the first time since the war ended.

_I believe I left some of my belongings here during my time of staying. Is it alright if I come in?_

She said with straight face, sounding so business-like.

_Sure, make yourself at home here._

He bit his tongue, mentally slapped himself for trying to play it cool when she clearly caught on that.

When she finally found what she came for, she immediately made her way out.

_T-Tohsaka._

He called out of a sudden.

She stopped at her feet, giving him a side-glance.

_Do you want some tea before leaving? You just got here and… you know, maybe some catch-ups with each other?_

He offered earnestly, struggled to find a better word.

_I’m good, I came here just to get my things._

A pause. Then, a possibility of chance for him.

_I… will be leaving after this last year._

He was expecting this, so he wasn’t really surprised. But it was uncharacteristic of her to tell him directly in person. Which meant she did it without thinking.

Decided he could take his chance, he asked.

_…to where?_

She cast her gaze to the wooden floor of his house, deliberately fixed her eyes on anything but him, then answered.

_Away. And probably won’t come back here._

_Oh, I see._

And a heavy silence hang between them.

_Then, see you at school._

She said, a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes was formed on her lips.

At the end, she didn’t tell him where she’d be going to exactly. But he had predicted by his own guess. He thought about the day she would be gone, from his life, entirely, completely gone.

Shirou realized he wasn’t ready for that day yet, but he couldn’t do anything about it either. It irritated him.

_Good morning, Saegusa-san._

He winced at the sound, his eyes immediately spotted her. The raven haired in those pigtails, his gaze was one of the many more which looked at her with admiration and keen interest. She simply ignored them, but she couldn’t shrink away the prickly feeling of him.

Sometimes she would stare back, asking him with unspoken words he was far so used to.

And he never once replied back, he was too coward for his own good.

He knew that she knew, those perplexed feelings he had secretly harbored. That was later concealed during their partnership in the war, it still remained there in the corner of his golden orbs every time he looked at her. Causing her to shut her aquamarine ones out of him. With no bonds to bound them together, they should not feel the way they felt, like there were some unfinished businesses that they forgot about. But It was all over, they had done what they could. And there’s nothing more to it.

Except that, _there was more._

The mix of thinly hesitation and bitterness in her gesture, their shoulder brushed against one another slightly whenever they walked across in the hallway. And the façade she put up upon her school persona, he hated to see through it. He hated pretending not to know it was all just an act. He craved for the real her, and he was no longer allowed to meet that Rin anymore.

At the day of their graduation ceremony, he asked to come with her to London.

Surprisingly, she accepted his request with ease. Like she already expected this.

The day they departed from Japan, she behaved quite unusual.

She barely acknowledged him, like he was not there with her. But when he walked too slow, or stopped to buy something from the shops inside airport gate, she will wait patiently without looking. He rationalized it was her way to tell him this would be the kind of treatment he will receive as her apprentice from here on. The line was drew since that day he asked her to go to Clock Tower, but it was even more visible when she indirectly pointed it out. Shirou did not know at that time that it was all for his sake.

After half way through their flight, he heard Rin asked.

_Are you sure of it?_

He wasn’t sure if it was her voice at first. Because of his airplane ear and her seat was at the window side. He had to tilt his head a little seeing that there’s a foreigner sitting between the two of them, sleeping. Her face facing toward the view outside, aquamarine eyes weren’t on him but at the endless sight of white clouds in the sky. He was so deep in his thoughts just a minute ago so he couldn’t bring out the words to reply.

_I said, are you sure of it. Coming to London._

After absorbing her question, he chuckled a little at that.

_We are on a plane, Tohsaka. I couldn’t possibly change my mind and jump right out the window, could I?_

_Answer me._

Even she kept her voice sounded indifferent, he can sense that she took this seriously.

Shirou dropped his gaze on her side-profile, noticed for the first time that day that she didn’t wear her usual hairstyle, a lock of long raven hair was elegantly swaying beside her ear. He silently took in the fascinating scene, and belatedly gave her his honest answer.

_Of course I am. if I didn’t want this, I wouldn’t have asked to go with you._

_…you really took your father’s last words for real, huh?_

_Technically it wasn’t his last words, and it was my idea to continue his work in his stead…_

He caught her stole a glance at him for a second, then back to sightseeing.

_Good. You will achieve what your dad could not. And I will also do the same._

_Come to think of it, we have quite the same goal coming here, ain’t we?_

There’s no replies from her so he thought the conversation would end here, he was about to lie on his back when she said with such a rare gentleness.

_Wrong answer, Emiya-kun. At the end of the day, you were always such a naïve one._

Little did he knew she was, once again, correct about that fact about him.

“This gives me weird feelings.”

She said out of the blue, causing him halted in place. His hands stopped doing their work. A white bandage was halfway wrapped around Rin’s shoulder. But the bruise on her face was still visible in a ray of sunlight.

“I used to be the one who wrapped these around your wounds.” Her index finger tapped slightly on the bandage in first-aid kit.

His hands started moving again, his calloused fingers graced over the purple bruise on her face making her winced a little. Shirou mumbled his apology and continued the talk.

“You’re talking about the war?”

“Yeah, what else would I be talking about?” Rin grinned at him, his eyes hurriedly shied away from hers.

After he insisted on dressing her wounds and had her properly healed as they skipping class, they were back in her apartment. Shirou was sitting on a chair, finishing the wrap on her face. Rin touched now clothed wound on her shoulder and couldn’t help to groan at the pain as she moved to do so.

His silent stare started to bother her, so she ignored the pain and reached her hands to button up her shirt.

“The wounds should be gone in about two or three days. It usually heals faster than this, though.” She explained to him with a tone that sounded like he was the injured one. And she didn’t bat an eye when he clearly caught out the word ‘usually’ with his frown. “You can go back to your place now, no needs to hospitalize me. This is nothing,”

“So you won’t tell me what this is about.” He cut her off by the obvious. And Rin stood up, away from the hand that had been lightly resting on her arm.

“If you skipped too much class, they would fire you even before you finish your last year.”

”Listen, Tohsaka.”

She stopped her movements, but didn’t look at him.

“I don’t care if you can’t tell me what’s going on. I know you have your reasons and I’ll respect that. But,” He sighed. “You can’t keep doing this. I can’t have my master disappeared and come back every time injured like it’s normal. It is not.”

“It’s funny.”

“Huh?”

“When it’s you out of all people, says that.”

“What do you mean?” He blinked, looking genuinely confused.

“No, forget about it.” She said, gradually massaged on her nose bridge.

Shirou stood up after her, whispering calmly behind her back.

“Tell me what I can do for help. You don’t need to tell me about all the details, but just the part I can do to prevent all of these.” He tried bargaining, pointedly hinted to the mess of bloody sterile pads on Rin’s table.

“There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s my responsibility, as a master, I can’t have my apprentice involved.” Rin simply shot him down with her usual self-logic.

“Tohsaka.” Shirou wouldn’t give up.

“Shut it, Shirou.” She quickly glared back at him, denied to meet his demanding gaze for a longer second. “I said what I said. Now, get out.”

A pause, then. He didn’t sound so calm this time.

“Why are you like this?”

His voice came out a bit shaky. Rin inhaled mutely, noticed.

”I am always like this.”

If the situation was less intense, Shirou would definitely laugh at her remark.

”Are you finished? I have work to do, and you also have afternoon’s class to attend.” Rin walked toward her kitchen, grabbed the teapot when Shirou moved across the room to hold her wrist. The teapot shattered loudly on the floor, Rin tried to protest but he wouldn’t let her.

”Leave it there, you can use your goddamn magic to restructure it anyway. So, tell me,” He studied her face, searching for some answers he didn’t know he needed so much. “Did I do something wrong? Or is it my existence that bothered you this much so you couldn’t stay and talked to me like normal friends we once were before?”  
  


He could tell that’s the moment when her last straw was snapped.

  
She seized her wrist out of his grab with her free hand, storming her way out of his reach back to the table.

“I thought I already told you to quit this bad habit of yours.” Rin said with a harsh tone, left hand ran through raven lock at the back of her head out of irritation. “You try to fix things that can’t be fixed, looking for an answer in the wrong place, trusting in wrong people and holding on a corrupted way of living. All of these, can you help me change them?”

She didn’t have to go that far.

And neither did he.

She knew it, but she couldn’t stand it anymore.

The kindness he tried to offer, the innocent intentions he had, those golden orbs that barely changed after all these times. She thought she could endure it.

She’s wrong.

But she’s right about one thing.

Hearing the sound of footsteps approached, her heart started to beat faster. Even so, she turned her face away from him. And when he walked past her to the door, her eyes slowly closed, her mouth letting out a long breath she didn’t know she was holding at the same time as the shutting click of the wooden door.

At the end of the day, her apprentice was that naïve of a man.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is the first drabble of Archer’s fate-like timeline that I decided to post here. It came out a bit too impromptu but I hope you enjoy this Rin and Archer as Emiya Shirou in here, their relationship was a lot different from one they shared in UBW, but It will make sense as the story goes.


End file.
